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While some communities are left dry, others have plenty of water bubbling up. That raises questions. An example from the canton of Bern.
Despite the drought, the water in Eriz BE flows plentifully. A good 1,400 liters gush through the source per minute. “That’s more than enough water,” says Mayor Daniel Kropf with satisfaction. Water, which here in the region between the Emmental and the Bernese Oberland is becoming more and more a valuable and sought-after commodity. Because unlike in Eriz, the water in the neighboring communities is becoming increasingly scarce, especially in a dry summer like this.
The municipality of Eriz is already sending its water down to the neighbors through pipes that are more than 70 kilometers long. For example to Oberlangenegg. “95 percent of our water currently comes from above,” says Oberlangenegger well master Martin Bachmann. «Without Eriz we would have almost no drinking water. Our own source is just a trickle.”
difficult discussions
At the moment, Eriz cannot operate the water distribution cost-effectively. Daum wants to join the community together with Oberlangenegg and two other neighboring communities. A water network is to regulate water distribution and water prices uniformly in the future. The municipal councils want to work together to maintain existing pipelines and reservoirs and build new ones where necessary. Only: The people of Eriz have already rejected the establishment of a water association twice.
Legend:
At an information event, the mayors of the four villages tried to convince their population of the water network. An unexpected number of people came.
SRF
How is the water distributed and at what cost? The discussions about the water are difficult, says Mayor Daniel Kropf. “The reasons for this lie in the past. You used to be able to dig a spring and then you owned the water. And what belongs to you, you don’t want to give out.» But a rethink is needed, Kropf is convinced. “Water is a good that everyone deserves.”
Everyone has to say yes
Peter Bieri is not convinced of the idea of a water network. He is a farmer and is one of the people in Eriz who use the most water. Because cows are thirsty, meadows have to be watered and the barn cleaned. Farmer Bieri needs up to 3,000 liters of water a day for this. As a pipe builder, he also has experience with water associations: “As soon as the water distribution is no longer regulated in the community alone, it’s all about money,” he fears. “Then the local trade will no longer be taken into account when constructing the line.”
Legend:
Farmers use up to 3,000 liters of water every day.
SRF
The mayor, Daniel Kropf, and his counterparts from the neighboring communities only have a few weeks to convince their population of the advantages of a water network. Because in all four communities, the population must agree to the project. Otherwise the water association with Erizer Wasser failed on the third attempt.